In Ao Yon and Ao Khao Khad, 3 metre high waves lashed the coast and damaged long-tail boats, yachts, speedboats and sailboats, all anchored close to shore. Some of them were beached.
Pol Lt Col Panya Chaichana, an inspector at the Phuket police station, said some of the boats that had been berthed at Ao Yon were registered to enter the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta scheduled from December 1-6.
More than 20 craft were damaged and the cost to repair them would be around B40 million, according to a report in ASTV Manager.
In Ao Chalong, home to many speed boats, tour boats and diving vessels, two boats close to shore were torn from their moorings and beached. Out in the bay, large waves caused boats to smash together. At present, the total amount of damage has not been estimated.
Meanwhile at Rawai beach, a fishing boat was smashed; in Ao Po, 20 fishing boats, which were moored ashore, were all damaged because of the hard-hitting waves, while a house was also destroyed.
Around Naka Island, five fishing boats were damaged. Mr Panya Samphaorat, the mayor of Pakhlok district, along with staff went to inspect the damage, and advised the owners to report it to the local government office.
Mrs Arsana Nunphul, a villager living in Moo 6, Pakhlok, said that she had never seen big waves like this before, except from those during the 2004 tsunami. This morning, she said, it had rained heavily and the wind was so strong.
Marine police officers are already in place at all Phuket's major ports and harbours, and have also warned every district, travel agent and fisherman not to head to sea until the weather subsides.
Altogether it's estimated the strong winds and waves have destroyed more than 50 boats around the coastline of Phuket. The weather is still too bad to attempt any kind of salvaging operations.
In Krabi, a total of 24 boats were damaged by storms. Some of them were docked at Ton Sai bay on Phi Phi island where waves as high as four metres hit the shore.
A preliminary investigation showed that a large 400-seat tour boat named Jet Wave belonging to Andaman Wave, which provided service between Krabi and Phi Phi island, sank while anchored about 100 metres from the beach. No one was injured.
Additional reporting by the Bangkok Post.